Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Had a huge Tilapia hatch yesterday

I strip the eggs from the female's mouth 2-3 days after spawn, clean them and place them in a hatching jar. Egg tumblers work well too. About 5 days later, they begin to hatch. Once the hatch has completed, I transfer the fry into a nursery tank and begin feeding.

I don't typically allow the adults to hatch their own because of the risk of the adults eating them right away when the female releases the fry. Plus, netting out hundreds of fry while the adults are going nuts because of the presence of a fish net becomes a wet, nasty and frustrating venture. However, I am hatching 1000's of fry at a time usually. On a smaller scale, you could probably let the females hatch them on their own and get the results you're seeking. You just have to be ready to scoop fry out the second the female releases, OR strip the fry from the female at about day 6 and place them in one of those fry cages you can buy cheap at a pet store. Just make sure to be VERY careful when trying to capture the female. If she gets too nervous, she'll spit the eggs/fry out, and you could have a total loss if you are unable to collect them.